Sen. Tom Harkin says a Vietnam veteran was erroneously presented with a Silver Star medal after the Marshalltown man provided inaccurate documentation to the lawmaker's staff.

The Des Moines Register reports Harkin said in a statement Friday that the medal presented to 64-year-old Dennis William Myers in June was not earned through service. He said the Navy recently provided Myers' records to his office.

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Military records show Myers served in the Navy in August 1968 and July 1972. But there are no records he received the Silver Star medal, one of the nation's highest military honors.

Military groups questioned the documentation Myers submitted to Harkin's office. Myers defended his record and said the paperwork came from a private California business that issues certificates for under $10.